DELTA | Sr. Construction Accountant Cape Girardeau, MO

Job Summary

Leads construction accounting and job costing to ensure accurate, timely, and actionable project financials across multiple concurrent jobs. Applies advanced accounting principles to analyze financial information, prepare and review financial reports, drive disciplined project cost controls, and partner with operations to support margin protection and cash flow. Serves as a subject-matter expert on construction job costing, revenue recognition, and project financial governance. The ideal candidate embraces challenges and demonstrates strategic foresight to evaluate complex information by leveraging data, metrics, and trend analysis to deliver meaningful business insights and opportunities. They are highly proficient with modern technologies, AI tools, and Microsoft Office applications, incorporating these resources as critical components of their role to drive efficiency and informed decision-making.

Main Responsibilities

Safety and culture

• Champion the Company's safety culture; model safe behaviors on jobsites and in the office; support Safety Steering and Continuous Improvement initiatives.

• Promote and practice the Company's core values, vision, and mission; uphold the code of ethics, workplace conduct, and all policies.

Job costing leadership

• Direct and perform detailed tracking and analysis of project costs (labor, materials, subcontractors, and equipment); ensure costs are captured to the correct job, phase, and cost type in real time.

• Reconcile job cost subledgers to the general ledger monthly; investigate and resolve discrepancies; ensure accurate cutoff and accruals.

• Prepare, review, and present job cost reports, work-in-progress (WIP) schedules, cost-to-complete, earned value, productivity analysis, and variance analysis to project managers and leadership; recommend corrective actions.

• Assist with review of project budget and re-forecasting of monthly EAC updates with upload of monthly changes into JDE.

• Oversee timely, accurate project billing (schedule of values, T&M, unit-price, progress billings); align billing with contract terms, retainage, lien waivers, and supporting documentation; monitor AR collections and cash flow by job.

• Drive timely job closeout: final cost true-ups, punch-list cost capture, revenue recognition, final billing, release of retainage, and lessons-learned on cost performance.

Compliance, controls, and technical accounting

• Ensure compliance with accounting standards, company policies, and contract requirements; apply construction-specific accounting, including percentage-of-completion, over/under billings, and cost capitalization.

• Review, investigate, and correct errors or inconsistencies in financial entries, documents, and reports; strengthen internal controls over project costs, purchasing, payroll allocations, and equipment charging.

• Prepare/coordinate regulatory filings (e.g., highway use tax); support audits and provide job-level audit trails.

• Review assets for annual property tax assessments; ensure accurate valuations, classifications, and timely filings.

Technology and software proficiency

• Utilize and leverage Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel) to analyze data, create reports, and automate workflows.

• Embrace and implement emerging technologies and AI tools to enhance financial analysis, forecasting, and reporting capabilities.

• Support efforts to integrate and optimize accounting/ERP systems, databases, and dashboarding tools for efficient project financial management.

• Continuously learn and adapt to new software solutions and technology trends relevant to construction accounting and project financials.

Operational partnership and analytics

• Collaborate with project managers, superintendents, estimators, and procurement to ensure accurate cost capture, disciplined change management, and margin protection.

• Review fuel, equipment, and small tools usage; validate utilization rates, and allocations to jobs or business units; resolve discrepancies promptly.

• Review employee expense reports for accurate GL/job coding, cost center allocation, policy compliance, and timely submission.

• Perform statistical and trend analyses on labor productivity, committed vs. incurred costs, subcontractor performance, vendor pricing, and cash flow; identify risks and opportunities and drive action.

• Conduct studies and recommend improvements to accounting operations, cost control processes, and financial systems; champion process standardization and automation.

Close and reporting

• Lead monthly close activities for project accounting: accruals, prepaids/allocations, revenue recognition, WIP and margin roll-forwards, and reconciliations.

• Prepare, review, and analyze monthly financial statements and dashboards; ensure integrity and explain variances at company, division, and job levels.

Leadership and Mentorship

• Serve as a resource for project manager and construction team on job cost best practices, system usage, and reporting.

• Provide training on coding discipline, forecast methodologies, change order pricing, and compliance requirements.

Education Skills And Experience

• Bachelor's degree in accounting preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Valid driver's license with the ability to maintain a clean driving history.

• CPA, CMA, or CCIFP preferred.

• 3-5+ years of progressive accounting experience required, with 2+ years in project-based accounting and demonstrated depth in job costing and WIP management. Construction job costing experience preferred.

• Strong command of construction accounting concepts: debits/credits, reconciliations, revenue recognition (percentage-of-completion), cost-to-complete, over/under billings, retainage, lien releases, committed costs, and change order accounting.

• Proven ability to own multiple complex projects, define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw actionable conclusions.

• Skilled at reading and interpreting contracts, financial reports, technical journals, and applicable regulations.

• Effective communicator with customers, regulatory agencies, auditors, and internal stakeholders; comfortable presenting financials to project teams and executives.

• Advanced proficiency with spreadsheets and accounting/ERP systems (e.g., JD Edwards, JWS, etc.) and payroll/job costing integrations; experience with database/reporting tools and dashboarding is a plus.

• Experience designing or improving cost code structures, workflows, and internal controls; process automation experience preferred.

Physical Requirements

• Primarily office-based; quiet to moderate noise; extended periods of computer work (up to 8+ hours) with regular breaks.

• Regular verbal and written communication; frequent use of hands to finger, handle, or feel.

• Occasional lifting/moving up to 35 pounds.

• Occasional standing, walking, reaching, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling; site visits may involve uneven terrain and exposure to dust, chemicals, and loud noise.

• Some travel, including overnight stays, may be required.

Success Measures

• Timely, accurate WIP and financial closes; minimal post-close adjustments.

• High data integrity between job cost, subledger, and GL; resolved variances.

• Consistent forecast accuracy and proactive risk/opportunity identification.

• On-time, compliant billings and filings; improved cash flow and DSO.

• Positive feedback from project teams; measurable improvements in cost controls and processes.